If this is your first visit, be sure to
check out the FAQ by clicking the
link above. You may have to register
before you can post: click the register link above to proceed. To start viewing messages,
select the forum that you want to visit from the selection below.

Add a wire feeder to a Tig power supply?

Is this a dumb question/ idea? Buy a syncrowave and a seperate wire feeder for Mig. Can this be done? Or is it not worth it. Our shop has a Millermatic 175 and we need a better mig for out of position welding on DOM tubing for rollcages. The 175 just won't cut it any more. We also need a Tig for Aluminum and stainless work (exhausts and brackets, etc...)
What about a Pulsed mig?
Thanks for any ideas or suggestions.

You can add a wire feeder to any TIG - it's called cold wire TIG welding.
They take some experimentation to set up correctly so they usually aren't worth it for small jobs, but if you are laying long continuous beads they are the cat's meow.

Leave a comment:

c wagner, No disrespect intended. This was only my experience, I am also comparing it to the Dynasty 200 DX and Dynasty 300DX which are much more technologically advanced.

Paul

Yes I understand that, we actually upgraded to the Dynasty 300's and later 350's once they quite making the 300's. The inverter machines are great for aluminum, I really enjoy not having a large balled tungsten that arcs where it wants in tight quarters! For mild steel or stainless steel unless it is really thin material or you are absolutely hooked on pulse the Shopmaster 300 with High freq box is any bit as good as the new machines.
Anyway no offense taken Paul, we all come here to get/ give opinions and everyone is entitled to their own.

Leave a comment:

Miller made a machine years ago called the Shopmaster 300 and it was a fair welder but not the best in any catagory. Definently better in Mig than Tig but I saw the worst of it in AC Tig simply weak at best.

Hey Paul I somewhat disagree with what you said about the Shopmaster 300. Our shop basically started with about 5 of these machines. We had the high frequency boxes, and the 30A spool guns. They were very decent machines that certainly got the job done but lacked the bells and whistles of today's machines. Personally I think the largest downfall they had was switching from one process to another, it always seemed that you forgot to flip that one switch or change the 14 pin connector.
Having said that I think for a home user it would be the answer since time isn't such a concern, for a business dedicated machines are the answer!!!

Leave a comment:

Wow. Thanks for all the good info. I can definately get the boss to buy two seperate machines if needed. Now if I can just find a machine that will plasma cut and make coffee, LOL. Oh yeah and TIG by itself while I have a coffee. Thanks again!

Leave a comment:

I will go with the various others opinions. I started with a solid mig and then added a Dynasty 200DX and later added a XMT 300 and S64M feeder. I have Mig capacity out of this world and AC and DC Tig.

Trying to buy one machine to do both Mig and Tig neither will be superior. Miller made a machine years ago called the Shopmaster 300 and it was a fair welder but not the best in any catagory. Definently better in Mig than Tig but I saw the worst of it in AC Tig simply weak at best.

My MM210 is awesome. The Dynasty 200DX fantastic, and my XMT is very nice.

Buy the best you can afford, if one machine has to do all of that then do not try to do aluminum as the XMT's do very well in DC Tig and Mig with the right feeder that is.

Good luck,
Paul

Leave a comment:

Hey Bucchino, I have a syncrowave 250 and a miller 175. got the 175 first when i bought the syncro - thought about doing the same thing you want to do. It's possible. you need a suitcase with voltage sensing. Not economical if your buying new. I never did it so i have no insight on the quality of arc you would get. oldshoes

Leave a comment:

Actually, I think the fellow is talking about the T-arc Arcmaster 300 AC/DC MST. Any feeder will plug into it, the Miller will plug into it without an adaptor. A Lincoln ( LN-7/8/9) will work with a simple adaptor.

And say you have a CC DC machine, only a voltage sensing feeder will work satisfactory, virtually impossible to hold the correct stick out on a connected RC type feeder, all you'd be doing is burning super hot and taking out the gun tip.

Leave a comment:

Leave a comment:

I hooked up a Miller S-32-S Miller feeder to a Thermal-arc TSW 300 ac/dc. It worked fine for some really hot aluminum spray-arc. You cannot run a Thermal cc type of machine in the short-arc.

Separate machines make the most sense because it's hard to beat a AC/DC tig for aluminum welding. Inverter or not. If you want pulsed mig/etc. or some other waveforms, the Lincoln C-300 is a one of the finest machines out.

Leave a comment:

Hate to burst your bubble, but the Arcmaster AC/DC would make a lousy mig welder. Requires the Portafeed VS 212 and a separate gun assembly.

One would be much better served (and cheaper too), going with a Sync and a separate mig (MM 212 comes to mind). If pulsed mig is in your future, you should be looking at the MM350P.

Don't get me wrong, the Arcmaster 300 AC/DC is a great tig welder. In fact, it's one I've seriously considered since Miller discontinued the Dynasty 300. Doesn't have "all" the bells and whistles the Dynasty 350 does, but has everything I need.